The International Criminal Court has decided to send former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to trial on charges of crimes against humanity committed as part of his anti-drug campaign.
Speaking on behalf of the Court, spokesperson Oriane Huber Maillet stated:
“Today, the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I unanimously confirmed all the charges against Rodrigo Roa Duterte and committed him for trial.” She specified that the judges found there were “substantial grounds to believe” that he was responsible for murder and attempted murder constituting crimes against humanity.
According to the Court, these acts were committed as part of a "widespread and systematic" attack targeting civilians between 2011 and 2019, at the heart of the so-called "war on drugs" policy led by the former head of state.
Prosecutors have charged Rodrigo Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, based in particular on his alleged involvement in at least 76 murders considered emblematic of extrajudicial killings. International judicial authorities, however, estimate that the total number of victims could be in the thousands.
This decision makes him the first former Asian head of state referred to the ICC, the jurisdiction responsible for judging the most serious crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The defense strongly denies the charges and claims that the former president is unable to participate in the proceedings due to health reasons. Duterte, 81, has not attended recent hearings and has only been seen since his arrest during a video conference appearance, in which he appeared frail and disoriented.
In its decision, the ICC nevertheless considered that the evidence presented justifies holding a trial, the date of which remains to be set.
